New York Times Haiti Devastation
After four deadly storms deluged all ten departments, states, in Haiti international help is on the ground. The USS Kearsarge, aircraft carrier, with 8 helicopters and two amphibious vehicles is docked in Gonaives. Reportedly the mission is frustrated that there is no place to land in Gonaives.
Gonaives is Haiti’s fourth largest city with 400,000 inhabitants. Located at the base of deforested mountains, Gonaives becomes the clogged drain for water rushing from the mountains to the seaside where the primitive city lies. In 2004, Tropical Storm Jeanne caused such rapid flash flooding she claimed 3000 Haitian lives in the city of Gonaives alone.
The Haitian government has failed to maintain or upgrade the colonial drainage in and around Gonaives; nor have they instituted any reforestation project. Though missionaires and development projects plant millions of trees a year in Haiti, their work is thwarted by the failure of the Haitian government to protect their new plantings with proper legislation. Peasants allow their animals to graze untied, destroying new trees and they burn fields to plant and fires ravage the new trees. Without government legislation to protect the reforestation projects and government implementation of a country wide reforestation project, Haiti will continue to be denuded and flood during rainy seasons.
The United States has committed military manpower and $10 million dollars to disaster relief in Haiti. Canada has committed $5 million and is considering sending in military assistance. The UN is requesting $105 million for the disaster relief.
Individual charities and Christian missions will work long after the government relief is spent. But whatever is given is futile if the Haitian government does not meet its responsibility to its citizenry and educate the population. Graft and corruptution created a worse case scenario in Haiti this past month when four storms took their toll on the already third poorest country in the world. No one was evacuated from the flood zones, and now 600,000 people are displaced from their tin and mud shacks, fragile constructions in the best of weather.
Over 300,000 of the affected are under age 18, and 75% of all Haitian population is illiterate. More product of the government’s failure to care for its population.
Joel and I have been missionaries in Haiti since 1975. You can learn more about us at our website www.HaitiForChrist.net Our mission is receiving cash donations to be distributed in Haiti for the rebuilding of homes and lives. Donations mailed to Haiti for Christ, Post Office Box 87, Franklin, VA 23851 are acknowledged and tax deductible. Thank for remembering Haiti in your prayers and your giving.
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